Friday, February 28, 2014

I may be absent for several days because I'm up to my ears in all kinds of things.

What in the world is going on in my kitchen?

I'm so short of cabinet storage space - because my dearest insists on bringing home Le Creuset baking dishes - he finds amazing bargains at HomeGoods and TJMaxx! I do love them but I don't have a pantry, so have just been tearing my hair out (more on that later) as to where I can store them. I saw a wonderful French kitchen island in a magazine and the light bulb went on. Like that rustic island in an awesome French kitchen, why couldn't I make use of the wasted space under my own much-loved portable island? A slatted POT RACK would be perfect for my large soup pots and saucepans, freeing up their cabinet for other cookware etc.

My lovely friend Jeannette has a great hubby who's all handy and helpful, and enjoys small wood working commissions. He made the pullouts in some of my cabinets last year - they have made a huge difference in my kitchen and bathroom life - so when I ran my idea, and the French magazine photo by him, he agreed to help. Thank you dear Jim.

Jim made the framework and cut the slats and I'm busy

with my brush and paint can getting the components

ready for installation.

I'll share it with you when completed.

More painting ahead starting Monday…………not by me thankfully. The professional Bruce will return to completely rehab an upstairs bedroom which morphed into DH's home office for 7 long years.

It's a disaster now BUT I promise will be better than new soon.

After the textured ceiling is removed, dings and cracks repaired, and a lovely new coat of Swiss Coffee (a warm white as in my dining room) covers the walls………………I will be doing my best to vamp it up a bit. It will continue to be our office/sewing/workroom but, after a visit to IKEA perhaps, it will look neater, and less of an embarrassment when people visit and want a 'cottage tour'.

Following painting, new carpet is being installed in bedrooms, 'office', landing and staircase. I picked a color a few shades darker than our present carpet, more greige than beige, and with a small diagonal cut and loop finish for a change. Hopefully it will look good and Mary will be happy. Bob too of course!You wouldn't believe how many yards of electrical cords coming and going from old desktop PC's, printers, phones were hidden behind the office furniture upstairs, it was alarming! So very alarming in fact that I took a break yesterday and headed to the salon and actually agreed to allow the lovely Suzi, my stylist of 18+ years - yes, she who cuts my blunt bob and keeps it radiant red and shiny with her magic potions - to cut my hair SHORT!!! After a calming cup of herbal green tea whilst my grey roots were being decimated, I thumbed through W magazine and showed Suzi a pic of how I'd want my hair if/when I decided to cut it. It was a young, hip model in a Chanel ad, hair redder than my red, long on top, short on the sides, full bangs, surely easy to maintain. Suzi agreed it was just the style she would pick for me with my type of hair, offered me a glass of wine and said "let's do it"! Well I passed on the wine, too early for me, driving home later etc.Suzi grinned, "Would you rather wait until next time?"No, I was ready for a change.It's modern and I can do things with it.I suddenly have texture, no curls but body. I love it. All who've seen it thinks it's great.

OK enough of this…………pieces of wood are calling for their second coat of paint, I must leave you now. Will return when workmen are out of my (short) hair - perhaps sooner if we have Internet.Have a wonderful weekend wherever you are………and many thanks for the lovely comments you left on my previous anniversary post. You are the best friends ever.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

I've been thinking a lot about reading lately. Today is the seventh anniversary of my starting a blog. My initial blog was titled Across The Pond and started in 2007 - still accessible if you click on my sidebar. Some of you dear readers were following me even back then, seven long years ago! Thanks so much for sticking with me and reading of my comings and goings around this vast and wonderful world. I had no idea what to illustrate this post with - it's quite an auspicious day, all anniversaries usually are no matter the reason. Celebrations are fun and memorable, but no horns are tooting here, no fancy cakes being cut, no packages being unwrapped. Instead I'm thinking about reading, beloved books, and many wonderful blogs. I'm wondering if artists are now painting pictures of children sitting at computers, tapping on tablets, notebooks, e-readers and even phones………makes one think doesn't it? I do believe a huge percentage of my generation still love books. The children in the paintings here became our grandparents, our parents………and they read real books to us. How fortunate were we.

The New York Palace building - commissioned by the New York Life Insurance Company, opened in 1894. It was nationalized during the communist area then, after the collapse of socialism, purchased laterby Italian Boscolo Hotels in 2001, totally renovated at a cost of 80 million Euros, and reopened in 2006as a luxury hotel.Up until World War II, when the building was damaged and fell into disrepair, the magnificent cafe on the ground floor was a meeting place for 20th century Hungarian writers, poets and journalists, and was known as "the most beautiful cafe in the world". The renovations are amazing and I think it should still be called the best even today.

Although the structure is ornate, in the lobby the floral displays were contemporary and quite lovely.

Strolling along some of the side streets we noticed several antiques shops offered extremely ornate merchandise.

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The following images are of the Budapest Opera House......magnificent both outside and in.

Whilst taking the tour we were able to see the stage being set for the production of Verdi's final opera Falstaff.

Edited - Monday: today I went out and found plenty more golden daffodils.I've noticed the leaves appear much shorter than the stems this year. Another weird unusually cold southernWinter quirk perhaps?

Friday, February 21, 2014

I'd no idea that Spring was out there this advanced on this very morning! The snow left, the sun shone brightly, and the temps. reached up into the 60's the last couple of days. It was a busy week for us - doctor appointments for check-ups, garage visits because silly me left my map reading light on in my car for five days (the snow covered the windows much of that time until it melted so didn't notice until I tried to start the car) and killed my old battery big time so had to get a new one. Also away from home for lunch and supper engagements, grocery store stops etc. In other words, I didn't even stop to look at the garden thinking it was still totally in a deep sleep!Then, knowing a big storm front was heading our way with possible damaging high winds, I trotted into the garden to batten down the hatches and stopped in my tracks. Then I ran in for a camera so I could catch the budding daffodils and tips of the bluebells, all pushing through the brown oak leaves.......breathtaking touches of emerald and gold.Sharing these quick pics with you........especially if you're up north and wondering what's hiding under all that snow. You will see Spring but until then I just thought I'd encourage you not to give up!

The storm? It seems to have passed now. We had a soaking heavy rain for about half an hour, and some distant thunder, but thankfully no high winds bringing down trees or causing power outages.

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR is a fresh version of my former three year blog ACROSS THE POND which can still be accessed by clicking on the title above.I'm a transplanted Brit enjoying life in North Carolina.

Fifty five years of journeying back and forth across the wide Atlantic Ocean have kept me busy…….and made my life very interesting! Although I've now visited all seven continents, I continue to travel and look forward to sharing new places around the world.I love taking photos! All images are my own unless noted otherwise. Please do not use my photos without a request. I enjoy sharing and will usually say OK!

Malaysia 2012

Singapore 2012

Hawaii 2012

Hoi An 2011

Vietnam 2011

Chiang Mai 2011

Bangkok 2011

TASMANIA 2011

Australia Nov. 2011

Expedition Cruising 2011

M/V Orion

Sub-Antarctic 2011

King Penguins

My African Safari...May 2010

The Lion

Africa 2010

The Leopard

Africa 2010

Remembering Africa - 2010

Lassen National Park, California

Thanks so much for reading along this far……if you've enjoyed my tales and photos and would like to see more, click on the Older Posts button, or the photo thumbnails above to take you back…there are awesome countries and exciting adventures. If you love to decorate your personal space, dig and delve in your garden, and turn out tasty morsels from your kitchen..........you're at the right place!